Marcus Trufant retired as a Seahawk Thursday in a ceremony at team headquarters that was a classy celebration in a room filled with friends, family, former teammates and coaches, and a few current Seahawks.
Among those in attendance were Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, current defensive backs Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman, receiver Jermaine Kearse, former Seahawks cornerback Roy Lewis, hall of fame left tackle Walter Jones, NBA player and Tacoma native Isaiah Thomas.
Also on hand were Trufant’s brothers, Isaiah and Desmond, also NFL cornerbacks, his parents, wife, four daughters, and several other family members.
“It seems like it’s been like a storybook, or like a movie,” Trufan said. “Everything has kind of been in my favor, I feel like I have God’s favor. From a young man all the way to an older man—I’m not all the way old yet, I know… I cannot complain about anything. Everything seems like it’s just fallen into place.”
Trufant spent a lot more time talking about and thanking people close to him than he did reflecting on his career, because, “For me it’s not so much about the stat sheet, it’s about all the lives and people that have impacted me and all the impact that I was able to give people.”
Trufant, who signed with Jacksonville last year but was released prior to the start of the season, so he went into full-time dad mode, which he said was tougher than any two-a-day practice under the sun in Cheney.
As for why now, the 33-year-old said, “It was just time. Everything has an expiration date on it, and I think my body was giving out on me a little bit. I’m staying in shape now, but to try to tackle a 230-pound running back day-in and day-out, I can’t see myself doing that now.. It was just time now. Just to be home with my family, all my girls are getting bigger, so it’s just good to be home. I had a nice run, I have no complaints.
“I’m excited. I’m not sad right now, this is a happy time. Of course I’m going to miss the game, but it’s just a chapter that is closing. I’ve got a lot more to do, a lot more to give, and I’m just excited to get started on that. This is just one chapter, so I’m excited to see where I end up next.”
Trufant said when he signed with Jacksonville, Pete Carroll and John Schneider brought up the idea of him someday retiring as a Seahawk, then they followed through on it this offseason, a gesture he greatly appreciated, especially considering Carroll and Schneider were only around for three of his 10 seasons with the Seahawks.
“It says a lot about them, it says a lot about their character, a lot about the organization itself, because they didn’t have to do it,” he said. “They chose to, and I’m very grateful for that. They just extended a hand, and that just shows the kind of people they are.”
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